Manufacture of open links



(No Model.)

D. HULTS.

U MANUFAGTURE 0F OPEN LINKS. No. 255,866. Patented Apr. 4,1882.

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID HULTS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MANUFACTURE OF OPEN LINKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,866, dated April 4, 1882.

Application filed September 5, 1881. (No model.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID Hours, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have in vented a new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Open Links, whiehimprovement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which- Figures 1 to 7, inclusive, represent the various steps employed in making links embodying my invention. Fig.8 represents the finished link. Fig. 9 represents the same open. Fig. 10 represents a die employed. Fig. 10 is a vertical section of the die, Fig. 10, in line 'mx thereof, and of the upper flat-faced die.

Fig. 11 represents a holding device or claw employed. Fig. 12is a viewof the top of the holding device or claw, showing the link in position thereon grasped by the tongs and in the act of being opened or separated.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention consists in making open links,

whereby they are produced at less expense and are of superior nature, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a piece of round iron or, steel from which the link is formed, in the operation of which I employ a die, B, and a holding device, 0, of suitable metal, said die having on its upper face a depression, a, in the form of a pointed hook or U shape, one limb of which is narrowed and pointed, the depression, being shallow and elliptical in cross-section. The holding device G is constructed of a body or shank having on its upper edgea notch, b, for holding the link during the operation of opening the same. The piece A is pointed at one end, as in Fig.2, and bent into a hook at said end. (See Fig. 3.) The hook portion is then placed in the depression a of the die B and subjected to blows of a hammer, drop, or die, B, having a flat face, it being noticed that the depression a of the die B gradually increases in depth from the point a to the bend, and from the bend to the end a of said depression, the entire recess or depression thus being properly proportioned, the effect of which is to smooth and perfect the hook on one face and flatten the opposite face. (See Fig. 4.) Theother end of the hook is similarly worked, the result of which is a double-hooked piece with smooth and perfect hooks, the flat faces being on opposite sides. (See Fig. 7.) The piece is now doubled or bent into link form, thus bringing together its flat faces and forming a closed link. (See Fig. 8.) One side of the link is then placed in the notch 11 of the shank O, and the other side of the link grasped by a pair of tongs and a twisting motion imparted thereto, the resultof which is the spread ing apart of the link at the flattened end thereof and the opening of the link, the result being illustrated in Fig. 9, which of course requires to be closed again, as in Fig. 8, when attached to other links for chain-making or other articles where links are employed.

In order to prevent the point or end of the link from binding against the shank 0 during the twisting open of the link, the shank is beveled, chamt'ered, or cut away at top aside of the notch, as at (I, thus allowing said point or end to move without obstruction. During these manipulations the metal is properly heated, according to the judgment of the workman.

It will be seen that I produce superior links in a simple, inexpensive, and uulaborious man ner, and the work may be watched throughout, so that any irregularity or imperfection may be detected and corrected.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isi 1. The method of making open links, con.- sisting in pointing the ends of a piece of meta1, bending the pointed ends into hook shape, placing the hooked portions in a die and flattening one face of each of said portions, then bending the double-hooked piece into link form, and finally spreading apart the link at the flattened ends, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The flat-faced the B, in combination with the die B, having a depression, a, which is shallow and elliptical and of the form of a pointed hook, whereby one face of the hook or bend of the link is shaped, smoothed, and finished, and the other face flattened, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The shank provided with a notch, I), and cutaway, as at d, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

DAVID HULTS. Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, GEORGE L. PLITT. 

